Questions the notion that William Blake's epic poem "The Four Zoas" is simply a manuscript--it is a part of Blake's working through the problems of publication during the reign of a conservative, nationalistic government at war with France. Suggests that Blake's construction of the text makes the act of reading "both traitorous and…

Describes Avital Ronell as attempting to "secure the space of academe as a sheltering place of unconditional hospitality for dissidence and insurrection." Provides an interview with Ronell which includes (1) what it means to be a writer; (2) what Ronell hoped the performance of "The Telephone Book" would accomplish; and (3) how…

Argues for the teaching of "visible features of written texts," or document design, in composition classes. Concludes that educators must teach students how to see their own texts through the eyes of the readers they hope to attract, converse with, and persuade. (SC)

Considers how New Zealand has seen a need for providing readily understandable business and government documents. Reports a psycholinguistic study testing the level of consumer comprehension of bank contracts, and the effect of using plain English to rewrite them. Finds that the most effective means of enhancing comprehension was that which…

Studies problems students face when visualizing a hypertext audience. Traces students' problems with audience analysis to three independent issues: (1) letting operational and functional levels of construction take precedence over figurative meaning; (2) confusing demands of print and oral audience expectations; and (3) conceiving of hypertext as…

Reads and highlights all text-level differences between the first (1938) and fifth (1995) editions of Louise Rosenblatt's "Literature as Exploration." Categorizes each type of revision and traces a sample of each to the edition in which the change was made. Concludes with a consideration of the implications of Rosenblatt's legacy for…

Investigates whether the layout of type in two popular children's reading schemes was suitable for the intended reading age. Concludes that the reading development of some children might benefit from a larger text size and spacing than is currently the norm, and that no children would be disadvantaged by such a change. (SG)

Borrows Robertson Davies definition of "fifth business": roles in a drama that are neither heroine nor hero but are necessary nevertheless to carry out the denouement. Suggests that reading may be seen as a play in which there is some fifth business without which the reading process cannot fully happen. Uses a variety of typefaces. (TB)

Explains how the concept of genre is useful for investigating similarities among the types of language produced in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) activities. Analysis shows that apparent differences in the example CALL texts are not significant. Three relevant levels of analysis for CALL activities are described. (Contains 25…

Explores the software behind the interface of the programs used in composition classrooms. Places the production of software in a cultural context. Compares hypertext, structured programming, and natural-language writing. Suggests that writing instructors think about ways to customize programs used in their composition classes and to understand…

Investigates the feasibility of using sub-headings similar to those found in structured abstracts to facilitate the writing and reading of scientific papers. Claims the use of sub-headings: (1) forces the writer to make sure no issue is forgotten; and (2) enables the reader to search for and find information more easily. (NH)

The inaugural issue of "Topics in Language Disorders" included articles by Roth and Perfetti and Pearson and Spiro that reflected the thinking of the time on reading comprehension instruction. In this article, the author reviews the general direction of those contributions in light of current thinking and offers a model for organizing the…

This article presents and illustrates a formal model of linguistic analysis in order to explain a phenomenon that is fundamental to translators in their practice: the construction of coherence. First, the role of paragraphs in the construction of coherence is explained with the application of the model to a newspaper editorial. It is shown, in…

There appears to be little research on the standard of post-16 students' writing and how it can be improved. In respect of such students, the focus of teaching professionals seems to be on content rather than on the writing process; arguably this leads to weaknesses in written expression. This article examines some current research and follows one…

Teachers can use comics for reading instruction by capitalizing on their colorful graphic representation. Technology and reading are wed during the use of the Internet, and readers must rely on their visual literacy skills--a group of vision competencies people can hone for comprehension. This article reports on strategies for developing visual…